Cautionary is a klaxon’s purpose. Neither rave nor new, the electromechanical alerts found on submarines and old automobiles are sounded to warn listeners of the vehicle’s arrival, departure or danger; and England’s “new-rave” all-stars—also running with the name Klaxons—are messengers of the future, predicating the next wave of musical adventures situated within modern-lit and rave-culture influences, adherents of the not-so-distant past, to ultimately set a trend for the near future.
Myths of the Near Future, Klaxons’ debut album, congratulates the past to refashion the future. Under the so-called new rave banner, the London-based group has designated the sublime as their raison d’etre. The rave culture of the early 90s and the dystopian spells of J.G. Ballard and William Burroughs all find their way into Klaxons’ art rock approach. Decidedly a mix of punk, funk and dance beats, Klaxons’ sound embarks upon a post-modern trajectory of magical-realism and sub-culture references to appropriate ideas of the past with the futuristic pulses of electronic devices: a grab-bag of synthesizer milieus and addictive rhythms.
The album begins with “Two Receivers,” a manifesto of lost paths and missing links, undeniably downtrodden, uplifted by gentle harmonies and keyboard-driven melodies: victory is made after all, only to be driven right out of the water with “Atlantis to Interzone,” possibly the most exciting track on the album, only for the fact that it makes you want to surge and surge, to Atlantis or any other imaginary place. The mood the record creates is that of distilled dance beats according to a rock formula, which sounds generic, except that Klaxons are a mystifying bunch. I would like to think they’re more than just three guys who like to sing together; they sing, and they have fun. The intrigue arises out of the Pynchon-inspired lyrics and penchant for disparate grooves, whether this is discovered first in “Golden Skans,” a ballad, or “Forgotten Worlds,” another ballad, but with a disco twist, which sticks out of the album like a big fat, though welcomed, sore thumb.
Don’t let the flamboyant colors or the slew of tweens hitting up their NME tour elude you. Myths of the Near Future find Klaxons releasing a record this year that will be heralded, if not for the new rave movement (which means nothing, really, since like, there are only two other bands who subscribe to the vanguard), but for mixing in a little bit of a mystery. And if you need a little bit of amusement, away from “serious” music videos, just watch the video for “Golden Skans.” If you’re not into that, download Klaxons’ cover of JT’s “My Love.” I promise that Klaxons have created something for everyone.
Myths of the Near Future is out now on Geffen Records
